Means for treating hard surfaces



July 4,- 1939.

G. MONNET MEANS FOR TREATING HARD SURFACES Filed May 18, 1955 5 Sheets-Shet 1" INVENTOR. 650E655 MON/v57- ATTORNEYS July 4, 1939. G. MONN ET 2,154,418

MEANS FOR TREATING HARD SURFACES Filed May 18, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet.2

10/ Q II INVENTOR. v

650E655 Mom/v ATTORNEYS 4, 1939- G. MONNET MEANS FOR TREATING HARD SURFACES 3 F e e h 4 m 9 m/ w 3 S f 3 o v o F m 5 3 9 l 8 y a M d e l i F A TTORNE I45 like, each one of which has a comparatively small- Patented July 4, 1939 MEANS FOR TREATING SURFACES Georges Monnet, Chateau de Franiere, Bclglum,- assignor to Societe Anonyme des Manufactures des Glaces a Produits Ghimiques de Saint-Gobain, Chauny .e Clrey, Paris, France Application May 18, 1935, Serial No. 22,143

France May 23, 1934 lclaim.

This invention relates to means for treating surfaces of hard bodies, such 'as marble or articles consisting of vitreous substances, and relates more particularly to means adapted to be applied along with an abrasive to rough or uneven surfaces for the purpose of uniformly grinding or surfacing the same and for increasing the to be treated by abrasives generally employed for these purposes, and by rubbing said surface with a plurality of hard elementsmade of metal or the operative surface exerting a partial surfacing action upon the surface to be treated.

These elements are preferably connected by elastic or resilient means to a common support which presses them against the surface and moves them simultaneously in relation to said surface. The elements are either entirely separated from each other, or are interconnected in such manner that they may assume various angles of inclination in relation to each other.

'I'he. operative surface of each element should extend sufiicientlyfar in at least one direction to prevent the element from reaching the bottom of the cavities and the like in the surfaces to be v worked, in order to prevent a deepening of these hinder thosejrnovements of the surfacing ele-' cavities by the action of these elements.

The, operative surfaces of the surfacing elements may baeither continuous or subdivided by block; a spring, a pneumatic cushion or the like;

The same purpose may be attained by providing a surfacing element which is resilient or elastic, for instance, by forming a surfacing element out of a plurality of resilient metallic blades.

In addition to the above-mentioned resilient means, other suitablemeans may be used for causing the surfacing elements to move along with their support. It is advisable to employ. flexible or easily deformable members which do not ments relativelyto the support, which are caused connecting the metallic blocks.

by the unevenness of the surface to be treated.

It is possible to use flexible diaphragms, a. system of cords, wires, flexible cables or leaf springs, tappets, cranks, chains or the like.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example only, preferred embodiments of surfacing devices as applied to the surfacing of a horizontal surface.

In the drawings: 1

Figure 1 shows in vertical section and partly in side elevation a circular surfacing device.

Figure 2 is'a bottom view of the device shown in Fig. 1. a I 1 Figure 3 shows in vertical section a device used for surfacing articles having large dimensions.

Figure 4 shows partly in section and partly in side' elevation a device of a somewhat different construction.

Figure 5 illustrates the use of a plurality of leaf springs for the purpose of supporting the surfacing members.

Figure 6 illustrates the use of a flexible diaphragm for the same purpose. a

Figure 7 shows partly'in section and partly in side elevation a device, the surfacing elements of which consist of interconnected metallic blocks.

Figure 8 illustrates a different method of inter- Figure 9 shows in vertical cross section along the line 9-4 of Figure :11 a device wherein the surfacing elements consist of a plurality of int med blades. I

Figure 10 is a side elevation of the device in Fig.- 9.

Figure 11 is a bottom view of the device shown in Figs. 9 and 10. m

Figure 12 is a section along .the line' I2- -l2 of Fig. 9 on a larger SO8 1B.' I

Figure 13 issimilar to Fig. 9 and shows one of the surfacing blades on a larger scale.

Figure 14 illustrates a blade of a somewhat different construction.

shown Figure 15 is a vertical section through surfacing means of a different type.

The device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings is a circular surfacing device. This device comprises a rlgiddisc or support 20 which is mounted upon a vertical shaft 2 I, and is rotatable along with this shaft. The shaft 2| is driven by means of a belt 22; passing around a pulley 23,

which is keyed upon the shaft 2].

Any suitable means not shown in the drawings, may be used for moving the shaft 2| and the disc 26 in the vertical direction, i. e. in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the shaft 2|. By this movement; the surfacing elements 36 are brought in contact with the surface to be treated. The pressure which is exerted by the surfacing elements 36 upon the surface to be treated is caused partly by the weight of the disc 29 and partly by aweight 24, adjustably mounted upon a lever 25, which transmits the pressure of the weight 24 to the shaft 2|. The lever 25 is pivoted at 26 to a fixed support 21 which comprises a sleeve 23 surrounding the shaft 2| provided with ball bearings allowing the shaft 2| to rotate and slide therein.

The device is provided with a plurality of.rubber buffers 29, the upper edges of which are glued or otherwise firmly attached to metallic plates 30 which are connected by bolts 3| to the support 20.

The lower edges of the resilient buffers 29 are glued or otherwise firmly attached to metallic plates 32, which are connected by bolts 33 to metallic surfacing elements 36. As shown in Figure 1, the surfacing elements 36 may be conveniently removed and replaced by new ones when worn out.

A flexible or deformable diaphragm 34 may be interposed between the elements 36 and the plates 32. The edges of the diaphragm 34 are attached by bolts 35 to the support 20, so that the bufiers 29 are protected from dirt and dust.

The arrangement of the surfacing elements 36 upon the disc 26 is illustrated in Figure -2 of the drawings. Grooves 31 are formed between the blocks 36 and serve the purpose of distributing more uniformly the abrasives applied to the treated surface during surfacing.

The surfacing device illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings is used for treating articles having large dimensions. Obviously, the device must be correspondingly large and must be adapted to transmit a substantial pressure upon the surface to be treated. The device: comprises the support 40 and a plurality of rubber supports 4| connected to upper plates 42, which are attached by bolts 43 to the support 46. Surfacing blocks 49 are provided with grooves 44 and are attached by bolts 45 to the lower plates 46 .which are firmly connected with the lower edges of the rubber supports 4|. A flexible diaphragm 41 is interposed between the blocks 49 and the plates 46 and is attached by bolts or the like to rigid supports 43,

which are firmly connected to the undersurface of the support 49. Due to the provision of the diaphragm 41 a movement of the surfacing blocks 49 in the horizontal direction is assured although these blocks remain free to move relatively to each other inthe vertical direction.

In some instances rubber supports 4| were found to be insufllcient for the transmission of large pressures. In the modification shown in Figure 4 the rubber supports are substitutedby coiled springs 56 which surround rods 5|, passing through suitable openings formed in the support 52.

The flexible diaphragm 54 is clamped between suitable flanges formed upon the surfacing elements 55 and the washers or flanges 53 of the rods 5|, and is carried by supports 56 attached to the support 52. Figure 4 shows that the rods 5| support the surfacing elements 55 over the surface to be treated and that these elements are independently movable in relation to each other during the surfacing process.

In the device shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, the surfacing elements 60 are connected with the supporting plate 6| by a plurality of leaf spring arrangements 62, which are of the same type as those employed in carriages and the like.

The leaf springs 62 are attached by brackets 63 to the plate 6| and are connected by links 64 to supports 65 which are firmly attached by suitable bolts to the surfacing elements 69. A flexible diaphragm 61 is interposed between the supports 65 and the surfacing elements 60. The leaf springs 62 cause a horizontal movement of the elements 63 and permit a relative vertical adjustment of these elements.

In the modification shown in Figure 6, the sur- I facing elements 10 are firmly attached to the undersurface of a flexible bag-shaped diaphragm II, the upper surface of whichis attached to the support 13. A vertical shaft 14 which is supported by a sleeve 15 is firmly connected with the support 13 so that the support is rotatable and movable in a vertical direction along with the shaft 14. The support 13 carries a valve 16 which communicates with the interior of the bag-shaped diaphragm II and which is adapted to transmit a fluid under pressure, vfor instance compressed air, into the interior of the' bag-shaped diaphragm II.

The diaphragm II is preferably made similar to pneumatic cushions and consists of an outer cover of a durable materia which surrounds an inner bag made of flexible and air-tight rubber.

could strike against the edges of the plates.

In the modification shown in Figure 7, two

blocks 8| are connected with each other by a hinge 3| which is attached to a plate 82 firmly connected with the lower edges of an elastic support 83. A plate 84 connects the support 83 with the support 35. Due to this arrangement, the edges 660! two contiguous elements 86 are always maintained at the same distance from the sup- P rt 45.

Obviously, a resilient blade or any other suitable means may be used instead of the hinge 8|.

In the modification shown in Figure 8, the surfacing elements 93 are attached by bolts 9| to plates 92 or 93, respectively, firmly connected with the lower edges of resilient supports 93. The plates 34 connect the supports 93 to the rotatable p t 5- The plate 52 is provided with a projection 96, one end of which is situated within a groove 91 formed in the plate 98.

Due to this arrangement the plate 98 may be inclined in' relation to the plate 92. At the same time the projection 96 prevents the plate 92 or the edge of the plate 99 from being moved much lower or much higher than the adjacent edge of the other plate.

The device illustrated in Figures 9 to 13 of the drawings, comprises a rotatable support It which is firmly mounted upon a vertical shaft II) The support )0 carries the surfacing elements consisting of inclined metallic blades I02 which form arcane be used for attaching the blades Ill to the plate I00. Obviously, the blades I02 may be glued or welded to the'support m, or attached thereto by any other suitable means. 7

Spacing members llll are arranged close to the under surface of the plate Ill and are used for the purpose of maintaining the blades III at a predetermined distance from each other. Due to this arrangement abrasives can easily penetrate into the spaces provided between the blades and will uniformly cover the entire surface to be ground or polished.

In some instances it' may be advisable to mount the blades upon separate blocks which are then attached to the block II. The blades ll! m have any suitable thickness and length. r

In the modification shown in Figure 14 each blade I02 of Fig. 13 is subdivided into three blade members llli which are separated from each other by slots ill and which are all connected to a common member III which is attached by tatable support ill I The effect attained by the above-described devices is also obtainable merely by covering the operative surface of a surfacing block I ll (Fig. 15) by a mixture comprising hard granules III and granules or particles II! of a less hard and elastic substance, such as rubber, cork or the.

like. Any suitable binding material ill may be usedfor interconnecting the particles of these two substances. I

After this layer has been applied to the surface to be treated for some time, it will be found that the particles I22 and the binding substance I23 surrounding the hard granules Ill will be destroyed or worn away more quickly than these granules, so that grooves or channels will be formed upon the surface of the layer, which are suitable for the purpose of spreading an abrasive over theentire surface to be treated.-

The rigid surfacing elements of the described devices function in substantially the same manner as the hard granules III while the elastic particles i2! and the binding substance in form an elastic connection between the separate granules III and also between these granules as a whole and the means for moving them relatively to the surface to be treated.

, All of the above described devices operate in substantially the same manner.- Any one of them is placed over the surface I." to 'be treated (Fig.

:10), which'is covered by abrssivesilllof the Then the support carrying the surfacing elements is rotated and is moved downwardly toward the surface Ill, bringing the surfacing elements in contact with this surface. In

operation, the surfacing elements exert a certain predetermined pressure upon the surface to be treated, while they are moved over this'surface.

One of the characteristic features of all these devices is the fact that the rigid surfacing elements are capable of relative movement inrelation to each other, for instance, they may form various angles of inclination one with the other. At the same time. suitablemeansmay be pro vided for preventing anyvertical displacement between the adjacent edges of two adjacent surfacing elements. e I

Due to the rigidity of each surfacing element and to its elongated form, the element cannot reach to the bottom of the cavities or grooves, located upon the surface to be treated sothat such grooves cannot be deepened by the surfacing elements. This is an important advantage of the surfacing devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as

- compared to felts.

Since the operative surface of each of the surfacing elements is comparatively small and since each surfacingelement is elastically and resiliently connected with its support, all the surfacing-elements remain continuously in contact with the surface to be treated and follow this surface even if it is extremely uneven.

' Due to the fact that the surfacing elements are totally or partly p ated from each other, and are connected by resilient means with their support, each of the surfacing elements may exert a predetermined pressure upon the surface with which it is in contact. This pressure may be either a constant one or it may vary depending upon the value of the projections to be levelled.

What is claimed is: lifeans for treating glass surfaces, comprising arotatablesupporhaverticalaxlecarryingsaid support, an'd a plurality of spaced resilient blades inclined at an acute angle to the plane of the surface to be treated, each of said blades being treated, the longitudinal direction of said blades being at an acute angle to the direction of the movement of the support. 

